Dark-lantern



W. BENNER.

DARK LANTBRN.

v(No Model.)

No. 339,846. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. BBNNBR.

DARK LANTBRN.

(No Model.)

No. 339,846. Patented Apr. 13,4 1886.

N. Puma mmm, vi-nimm 0.o.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

VILLIS BENNER, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

DARK-LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 339,846, dated April 13, 1835 Application filed November 17, 1885. Serial No. 183,078. [No model.)

lo @ZZ whom, it may] concern:

Be tkuown that I, WILLIS BEND-ER, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minneseta, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dark-Lanterns; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, Iand exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l shows a vertical sectional view of an ordinary bnllseyeor dark-lantern with my improved meansanddevicesforshuttiugoi'and turning on the light applied thereto; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the sameon linea: xof Fig. 1, looking from below, and Fig. 3 a detail perspective View of the screen-eylii'ider and the means for turning the same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

Jlhe object of my invention is tov provide an improved bulls-cye or darlclantern in which the means for turning on and shutting off the light can be operated at Will by the hand which carriesthe la ntern without ueeessitati ng the use ofthe other hand; and to this end my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinafter specified.

In the drawings, A designates a bullseye or dark-lantern having the usual lamp, lens, and holding devices or handles.

On top of the lantern-casingdis the ordinary tinted cap.l3,for permitting the passage of hot air orsmoke from within Whilepreventing the egress of light. Such form of cap is. however, not atall essential to my invention. Both it,the casing, the lens, and the fastening device and handles can be varied in construction, as desirel, Without departure from or affecting my invention.

NVithin the lantern-casing and surrounding the lamp I place -the cylinder G, correspond` ing nearly in size with the interior of the casing,so as to be steadied thereby as it is rotated, as hereinafter described. Such cylinder extends Well below and above the ligl.ito1.iening Din the casing, and is provided in one side with the opening E, preferably corresponding in size and shape with such light-openinff. At its upper end the cylinder is provided Wit-l1 the cross-bar F, to the middle of which is fastened the lower end of the spiral G. From the upper end of such spiral, which is preferably formed of u. flat plate or thin bar of metal twisted, as shown best in Fig. 3, the vertical supportingshaft H extends up through the lantern-cap B, and is supported from the apex thereof by means of a nut. h, screwed on the shaft-above the cap. I prefer to placeawasher, h', on the shaft below the nut to resten the captop and form a good supporting bearing for the nut. \Vith this construction the screencylinder C is supported simply from the lantern-cap in such a way as to be free to rotate in either direction. and. as indicated hereinbefore, is steadied in such rotation by thesides of the casing. As there is usually no tendency, or scarcely any, in the cylinder to swing or vibrate, its bearing against the easing will be very slight.

Pivoted to the casing or to a lug thereon at I,is the lever K,whose outer end is in position to be operated by the thumb of the hand grasping the handles to carry the lantern. The other end of the lever extends in through the easing, and is provided with the slot I. engaging the spiral G, as shown best in Fig. 3. As such spiratis formed, as described, of a plate twisted, the slot need not be more than a narrow straightoneto properlyembrace and engage it. Instead of being slotted, as shown, the lever can obviously be simply forked so that the fork will embrace the spiral. A spring, L, engaging the outer or handle end of thelever,keeps it normally elevated, and throws it up again when it has been depressed and released. The normal position,then,of the inner slotted end ofthe lever is down, as shown in Fig. 3. The spiral G is so constructed with reference to the cylinder that when the engaging end of the lever is down the cylinder is turned to bringitslight-openingsE away from the light-opening D to the lens. The light from thelamp Within isthen norrnallysereened or shutoff from the opening D. If, now,the outer end ofthe lever I be depressed so as to raise the inner end thereof, the sides of the slot I', engaging and traveling up the spiral, will cause it and the screen-cylinder to rotate quickly to bring opening E into coincidence with light-opening D to let the whole light Hash IOO out unobstructed through the lens. Upon releasing the outer end of the lever the spring throws it quickly upward again, thus Causing the screen-cylinder to turn back again withits opening away from thelight-opening D, as before. Vith this construction the turning on and cutting ofi' the light can be done and controlled by the thumb of the hand carrying the lantern. There is then no necessity of using the other hand to turn on or shut off the light, as in the case of the dark-lanterns as heretofore made. But one hand being necessary to carry and properly operate my lantern, the other hand is free tobe used as necessity requires.

The advantages of my lantern, Where a weapon of defense has to be carried in one hand, are too obvious to need setting forth.

Instead of making the rotary screen in the form of a cylinder with a hole for the lightopenng cut therein, of course only a portion ofthe cylinder sutlcient iu extent to extend across thc light-opening D in the lanterncasing can be used without departure from my invention. In such case the upper rim of the cylinder to which the support-ing erossbar is attached would of course be retained, the screen portion depending from and being carried by such rim` My lautern can obviously be used to great advantage not only l'oran ordinary bulls-eye or darklantern, but where any flashing light to be controlled by the lantern-carrier is desi red, as thelength or duration of the fiashes of light are under perfect control.

Having thus described my in vention,what I claim isl. The eombiimtion,with thelantern casing,

ofa screen pivoted therein provided with an inclined cam having its opposite sides substantially parallel, and a lever engaging the cam on such opposite sides,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the lantern-casng, the rotary screen therein, the spiral rigidly connected with the screen, and the lever engaging such spiral, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

3. ln combination with the lantern, the rotary screen, the spiral rigidly connected therewith, and the lever provided with the slot through which the spiral passes, substantiall y as and for the purpose specified.

4. In combination with the lantern-casing, the shaft supported from the top of the lantern, the spiral, the rotary screen connected rigidly therewith, the lever slotted t-o engage the spiral projecting out th rough the casing in proximity to the handles of the lautern, and the spring engaging the lever, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

5. In a dark-lantern, in combination with the casing, the lever pivoted thereon above the handles,exteuding within t-he casing, and slotted at its inner end, the spring engaging the lever, the rotary screen within the casing, and the twisted bar or spiral rigidly connected with the screen and passing through the slot in the lever, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

WILLIS BENNEP \Vitnesses:

ROBERT S. INNEs, PATRICK H. GUXCKEL. 

